{"id":4699,"date":"2019-06-03T04:15:41","date_gmt":"2019-06-03T11:15:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/?p=4699"},"modified":"2019-06-03T04:15:41","modified_gmt":"2019-06-03T11:15:41","slug":"reloading-part-i-equipment-and-components","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exhaustnotes.us\/blog\/index.php\/2019\/06\/03\/reloading-part-i-equipment-and-components\/","title":{"rendered":"Reloading Part I: Equipment and Components"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The finished product:\u00a0 Reloaded .45 ACP ammunition. This handcrafted ammo is tailored for my 1911, and it is much more accurate than factory ammunition.\u00a0 Our blogs on reloading will cover the equipment and components needed, and the steps involved, in reloading ammo for the .45 Automatic.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I’ve had a few requests for a blog on reloading. \u00a0 You know, not just favored loads for different cartridges, but how to go about reloading.\u00a0 I know it can be a bit intimidating if you’ve never done it, but (trust me on this), learning how to reload adds an entirely new dimension to shooting, and many of us view reloading as being as much fun as shooting.\u00a0 In fact, one of my friends often jokes about shooting…he says it’s what we do so we get to reload ammo again.<\/p>\n

A very cool guy named Roy Johnson taught me how to reload when I was in the Army. \u00a0 I was assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas, and Roy ran the Rod and Gun club there.\u00a0 Roy was a colorful El Paso fixture, and they named the road to the Rod and Gun club Roy Johnson Lane when he died.\u00a0 I was 22 years old when Roy taught me how to reload, and I’ve been reloading ever since.<\/p>\n

I thought I would approach this topic in two or three parts, with the first blog focused on the equipment and components you’ll need to reload, and a subsequent blog or two on the actual reloading process.\u00a0 I had to pick a cartridge, so I thought I would start with the first one I learned to reload:\u00a0 The .45 ACP.<\/p>\n

With that as a backdrop, here we go…<\/p>\n

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Reloading reverses the process of firing a bullet, and reversing that process requires several pieces of equipment.<\/p>\n

One part of the equipment list is the dies that force the fired brass case back into shape (the brass expanded during firing) and knock the used primer out of the case.<\/p>\n

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A set of RCBS carbide dies for the .45 ACP cartridge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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A die set consists for a pistol cartridge typically includes three dies. From left to right, they are the resizing die (it sizes the brass case back to original dimensions and punches the primer out of the case), the expander die (it opens and flares the case mouth to accept the new bullet), and the seating die (it seats the new bullet in the case and removes the case mouth flare).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I stick with RCBS dies, as I’ve learned over the years they work best, but there are other manufacturers out there.\u00a0 I also use Lee dies for a few of the cartridges I reload (they are typically less expensive than RCBS dies, and they are as good).\u00a0 An added advantage of the Lee dies is that they include the shellholder with the die set, so you don’t have to buy a separate shellholder and pay extra for it.\u00a0 I don’t care for Hornady dies, but as they say, your mileage may vary.\u00a0 I’m the guy doing the writing here, so I’ll share my experiences and preferences, and I like RCBS and Lee.\u00a0 A new set of RCBS carbide dies are a little north of $50; Lee dies are typically $10 to $15 less than the RCBS dies (and like I said earlier, the Lee dies come with a shellholder).<\/p>\n

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The business end of the carbide resizing die. The red arrow points to the carbide insert.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I use carbide dies for pistol cartridges.\u00a0 A carbide die has a super-hard carbide insert that interfaces with the brass case, and it allows you to squeeze the case back to its unfired configuration without having to lubricate the case first.\u00a0 The downside is that carbide dies are slightly more expensive than non-carbide dies.\u00a0 For straight-walled pistol cartridges, there are three dies in a set.\u00a0 We’ll discuss in more detail what each does in Part II of this series.<\/p>\n

You will also need a reloading press and a shellholder for the brass cartridge case. \u00a0 I use an RCBS Rockchucker press I bought new nearly 50 years ago when Roy Johnson taught me how to reload.\u00a0 A good press lasts forever.<\/p>\n

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The RCBS Rockchucker reloading press. A good one lasts forever. The red arrow points to the shell holder. Different cartridges take different shell holders. We’ll see how all this stuff is used in Part II of our reloading series.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A scale is necessary for measuring propellant charges (also referred to as powder). \u00a0 Several companies offer scales specifically designed for reloading.<\/p>\n

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My RCBS reloading scale. Like the Rockchucker press shown above, I’ve been using this for a half century.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It’s a good idea to have reloading trays for the cartridges. \u00a0 These are relatively inexpensive, and they seem to last forever, too.<\/p>\n

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Reloading trays. These hold the brass cases we are going to reload, and allow for easy tracking and inspection of each reloading process step.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A powder dispenser allows you to dispense the correct amount of propellant in each cartridge case.<\/p>\n

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A powder dispenser, and the propellant I like to use for loading .45 ACP ammunition. I bought that dispenser back in the day, along with the scale and the press. My preferred propellant is Unique.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At this point, we’ve covered the equipment necessary; let’s now turn to the components.\u00a0 One is the propellant you see in the photo above.\u00a0 As seen in the photo below, for the .45 ACP cartridge, I prefer Unique.<\/p>\n

You’ll need previously-fired cartridge cases.\u00a0 You can also buy new brass that has never been loaded if you don’t have any, or you can buy factory ammo, shoot it, and save the brass.\u00a0 I don’t think I’ve ever purchased new brass for the .45 ACP, mostly I had plenty available from my days in the Army.\u00a0 The .45 ACP cartridge is a relatively low-pressure cartridge, and the brass seems to last forever.\u00a0 I’ve been reloading the brass you see here for a long time.<\/p>\n

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Fired .45 ACP brass. It’s dirty. I usually polish mine, but it’s not necessary that you do so. We’ll talk more about that in the next blog.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Polished .45 ACP brass. It cleans up well and it seems to last forever (look at the stamps on the two cases on the left).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You’ll need primers.\u00a0 The primer is the little cap that the firing pin strikes when you pull the trigger. \u00a0 There are two or three companies making primers these days.\u00a0 I usually buy whatever the shop has in stock.\u00a0 I haven’t found that primers make a difference in accuracy or reliability for handgun shooting.<\/p>\n

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Winchester primers. We’ll talk about the tool you see below the primers, and how to install the primers, in the next blog.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And finally, you will need bullets.\u00a0 I’m using moly-coated 230-grain roundnose lead bullets these days, like you see in the photo below, mostly because I have a bunch of them in my reloading locker.\u00a0 Many other bullet configurations are available.<\/p>\n

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Bullets. I usually buy them in boxes of 500 because I do a lot of shooting. There are different kinds of bullets available, but that’s a discussion for another time, too. If you’re just starting out and you’re reloading .45 ACP ammo, my advice is to get a 230-grain roundnose bullet in either cast or jacketed flavors. It will feed reliability in nearly any 1911. We’ll talk more about this in the next blog, too.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There’s one other item I strongly recommend you purchase, and that’s a reloading manual.\u00a0 These manuals list different loads for different cartridges and different bullets and propellants.\u00a0 The whole idea here is to experiment with these combinations (within the parameters provided by the manuals) to find the recipe that produces the best accuracy and reliability in your gun.\u00a0 My preference is the Lyman manual, as it lists different bullet manufacturers and cast bullets, too.\u00a0 You can buy manuals from the bullet manufacturers, but the downside there is they only show data for their bullets.<\/p>\n

You can buy all of the equipment separately (as I did a long time ago) or you can buy a complete kit that has everything you need to get started. \u00a0 RCBS<\/a> has a kit that goes for about $350.\u00a0 Lee<\/a> has a similar kit for a lot less (about $150), and it will get you into the reloading game.\u00a0 I have a friend who bought the Lee kit a few years ago, he uses it to reload .308 Winchester ammo for his Model 700 Remington, and the ammo he makes routinely delivers 1\/2-inch groups at 100 yards.\u00a0 With either kit, you’ll need to buy the dies required for the cartridge you wish to reload, and the components as described above.<\/p>\n

You might be wondering:\u00a0 Where do you buy this stuff?\u00a0 Most gun stores sell reloading equipment and components.\u00a0 Cabela’s and Bass Pro are two that come to mind.\u00a0 You can also buy components and equipment online from places like Amazon, Midway, Natchez Shooter’s Supply, Grafs, and other places.\u00a0 Buying the energetic components online gets a bit more complicated (propellants and primers), but the stores can fill you in on that.\u00a0 In most areas, there’s usually a shop that is known for being the best in your neck of the woods for reloading stuff, and you can find these places with a quick Google search or by asking around.<\/p>\n

So there you have it.\u00a0 I’ve described the equipment and the dies you’ll need to reload the .45 ACP, but the procedures I’ll describe in subsequent blogs will be the same for nearly any handgun cartridge (.38 Special, .537 Magnum, .380, 9mm, .40 S&W, .44 Magnum, and .45 Colt).\u00a0 All you need will be different dies and shellholders, and of course, different types of bullets.<\/p>\n

Our next reloading blog will cover the first steps of the reloading process.\u00a0 Stay tuned; it’s coming up!<\/p>\n

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Read our other Tales of the Gun<\/a> stories for the loads we prefer.\u00a0 Disagree with anything above or want to toss your $0.02 into the discussion?\u00a0 Hey, there’s a comments section below and we’d love to hear from you.<\/p>\n

One last thing…ever wonder what the “ACP” stands for in .45 ACP?\u00a0 Well, here you go…wonder no more.<\/p>\n